Fashion designers are stylists in the kitchen too

6/6/2010

What stylish concoction are you whipping up? If it's meatloaf by Bill Blass or Grandma Bea's Pot Roast by Michael Kors, then you must have already gotten your hands on the American Fashion Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes of Favorite Designers.

Presented by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, a nonprofit trade association made up of 350 designers, and with a foreword by Martha Stewart, the cookbook is a must-have for any chic kitchen.

Style professionals from Tory Burch to Nicole Miller share their recipes for appetizers (John Varvatos' Calaloo Soup), pasta (Isaac Mizrahi's Mushroom Truffle Spaghetti), main dishes (Diane Von Furstenberg's Saturday Night Chicken), and desserts (Marc Ecko's Adults-Only Chocolate-Chip Cookies).

The cookbook is illustrated with colorful sketches and includes quotes and anecdotes that give context to the designers' creations.

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 pounds ground sirloin

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground veal (ask the butcher to grind meats fresh)

1/2 cup parsley, minced

1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of thyme and marjoram

1 12-ounce bottle Heinz Chili sauce

5 strips bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute celery and onion in butter. In a mixing bowl, combine celery and onion with the meats, parsley and breadcrumbs. Beat egg with Worcestershire sauce, seasonings; blend into meat mixture and form loaf. Top with chili sauce and bacon. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and rest - not you, silly - the meatloaf. Serve with mashed potatoes, red pepper jelly, corn, and lima beans - wow!

"This recipe has been in my family for years. ... I serve this at our beach house when we have our friends and family over, and even my three little boys love it. It's a great way to get children to eat their vegetables."

6 large ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds)

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1 cup tomato juice

1/2 cup bottled clam juice

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

8 ounces cooked shrimp, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Blanch tomatoes in large pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain. Refresh under cold running water. Peel tomatoes. Halve tomatoes crosswise. Working over small bowl, squeeze gently to extract seeds. Discard seeds. Transfer tomatoes to food processor. Blend until coarsely pureed. Transfer tomatoes to a large bowl. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Season gazpacho to taste with salt and pepper. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. This gazpacho can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated. Serve cold.

"We all love chocolate-chip cookies. But did you know they have the power to be an aphrodisiac? My variation offers the perfect proportions of white and brown sugar that will ensure the perfect buttery 'snap.' The notes of caramel and espresso round out the blend of semi-sweet and dark-chocolate chips. Money-back guarantee here! Careful when you eat them with a significant other. Serve 'em hot!"

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

2 ounces milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup caramel sauce

1/2 shot espresso

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup dark-chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine the egg, milk, and vanilla and let sit at room temperature. Cream the butter in a standing mixing bowl, starting at low speed. Add the sugars, caramel sauce, and espresso. Increase the speed and cream the mixture until light and fluffy. ... Reduce the speed and add the egg mixture slowly. Increase the speed and mix until well-combined. Slowly add the flour mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop cookie dough with an ice-cream scoop onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. I like to rotate the baking sheet for more even browning every 5 minutes. Take out just before golden brown. They will continue to cook out of the oven! This is a major trick to ensuring perfection. Remove cookies from baking sheets immediately. Once cool, store in an airtight container with sheets of parchment paper in between.